Celebrating Everyday

Spring brings so many celebrations- starting with Easter. In Italy, it signals celebrations almost every weekend, called sagre. When Spring arrives, Tuscany is at it’s loveliest. This spring is no exception, green velvety hills dotted with color from wild flowers, red poppies, yellow blossoms of mustard greens, golden wheat and the lovely alfafa blossoms. Wisteria is covering walls everywhere and irises of all colors fill both gardens and the hillsides. The iris garden in Florence holds is festival in May yearly. It is on the right side of the piazzale and in June the rose gardens are the place to be, located on the left side. Piazzale Michelangelo is my favorite place to stop for the best view and foto ops in Florence before leaving for Chianti.

We had Easter, then April 25th, the libertation of Italy; May 1st, labor day; which tends to create 3 day weekends called ponte, bridges. Rain was present at the strangest times, but the hills are beautiful because of it. My Chianti week was blessed with sunshine and the storms held themselves back and we stayed dry! Time to light a candle.

In my area of Chianti, the Fiori d’acacia fritter festival starts. I was really bummed when I went a few years ago and it was really rice fritters not the fried flower blossoms I was expecting, if there were any acacia blossoms in my fritters, they were cooked away to nothing.

Not all festivals are like that. There is a fabulous medieval dinner in Certaldo at the end of the month, usually sold out months in advance, they hold two, one in May and another in June. If you are nearby you may want to see about coming.

Important to know about attending a sagra, is that usually they are in the afternoon, held after families have eaten at home and come out for the passegiata late in the afternoon. Some go on to evening and dinners are held. Ask the locals!

I hate to miss a good party in Italy! Come hungry.

Slow down and take time to smell the roses
or eat the porchetta!!!

Just got this foto from one of my “fans”!

Start them cooking young and they will thank you later!

Happy Mother’s day!!!